The right boss as important as the job
A great manager brings out the best in their employees
As I progressed in my career, I learned the hard way that it is better to report to a good boss at a bad company than a bad boss at a good company.
There is one thing job seekers do not do a deepdive assessment of when interviewing with a company which can make or break their experience and career: their future boss.
A great boss brings out the best in their employees; a bad boss brings out the worst.
For this reason, it is true that people don't leave jobs; they leave managers.
The typical job seeker reads through job descriptions, hoping to find one that reads like them. The thinking is, ‘the closer I fit the job description, the more likely I will get hired.’
Such thinking is counterproductive to your career and enjoying your employment. Yes, there needs to be an alignment between your skills and experiences and the job description for you to be invited for an interview. But what about being aligned with your future boss?
Should not finding a stellar boss be your priority?
Job seekers tend to focus on the company, salary, paid time off, benefits, etc., rather than on the person they report to. Reverse your priorities and focus on the person you will be reporting to, then the company, salary, etc.
A great boss is more than just someone who knows the business, makes decisions and intuitively delegates. Having a great boss means having a teacher, a mentor and someone you can rely on. They are someone who shows you opportunities to enhance your skillset and who believes in you. When you have a great boss, you learn what you need to know to do your job and what you need to know to move forward.
A great boss is critical to your success. My career today exists because of three great bosses I was fortunate to have worked for.
Undoubtedly, you have heard of the Great Resignation and how employers are
struggling to fill their open positions. Unfortunately, this has resulted in recruiting efforts, especially for candidates with in-demand skills, becoming aggressive in luring (such as deceiving, duping, misleading) candidates. Often, I hear from new hires who are disheartened to discover the position, workplace and management are not what they were led to believe during the hiring process.
So, before you accept an offer that looks good on paper, consider critically whether the person you
will be reporting to will be someone with whom you will have a good working relationship. Therefore, before accepting a job, get to know your future boss. Without good leadership — leadership that supports you, your dream job is not a dream job.
For the most part, employees describe great bosses as some who:
• Puts people first,
• Leads by example;
• Shares information;
• Is committed to excellence;
• Shows appreciation and gives recognition;
• Delegates effectively, then gets out of the way;
• Has your back and wants to see you succeed in your position and career.
A great boss is hard to find, difficult to part from and impossible to forget — they make your work life significantly better. A supportive boss and a healthy work environment are essential to doing one's best work.
Bad bosses, on the other hand, micromanage, blame and hold you back in order not to lose you, which will make you miserable.
In addition to speaking candidly with a potential new boss, you should look at their LinkedIn profile and Google them as well.
What is in a job description does matter. However, in our hyper-changing world, a job description is temporary. Therefore, accepting a job should be based on more than just a job description, which will, for the most part, be irrelevant in a few years.
In terms of having an envy-worthy career, leadership is much more important, since it focuses on the long-term.
Doing your due diligence to determine whether you and your potential new boss could have a successful working relationship will be time well spent.